Scott Steinhauer ’81 BUS believes it was inevitable that he would volunteer his time at Penn State without the expectation of compensation in return. He said, “While a student, I played in the Penn State Blue Band and rose to lead the trombone section, which was particularly fun as we led the band onto the field for pregame,” and he added, “it taught me that some of the best experiences don’t come with a paycheck.” Scott’s volunteerism and philanthropy to Penn State all started with a gift to fund a Smeal College of Business graduate assistant position, designed to provide statistics tutoring through the University Libraries. The Richard and Carol Steinhauer Endowment for Graduates in the Schreyer Business Library was established in 2004 and was dedicated to and named after his parents. He shared, “My parents covered my undergraduate tuition and expenses, and I made a promise to myself that if I were ever able to give back by helping another Penn State student, I would.” His philanthropy and contributions as a volunteer did not end there, and he has since established three additional funds.
In October of 2004, Scott, along with his wife, Sarah, and his parents, were invited to a donor reception and Penn State football game by Nancy Eaton, then dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications. He shared, “the four of us viewed the game from a box, with Sue Paterno stopping by. Following the game, Joe and Sue Paterno were kind enough to invite us, as well as about twenty-five other library donors, to their home for drinks, dinner, conversation, and if memory serves, an after-dinner grappa or two.” Scott shared that this had a huge impact on him and his family. “I don’t believe my mother washed her right hand for weeks, as she had shaken both Joe’s and Sue’s hands. And I had the double pleasure of giving back to an extremely worthy cause–the University Libraries—as well as enabling my parents to have an experience that they would never have dreamed possible.” After that event, Scott was invited to join the University Libraries development board and has been a volunteer ever since, serving as Board Chair during the Greater Penn State campaign.
Scott has various duties as a member of the University Libraries’ development board. He assists in running the bi-annual meetings, meets with donors, and works with the Director of Development to help shape fundraising and volunteer communications. “The library staff know what the Libraries need and the development staff know how to raise the money–our role is to bring our life experiences to shape the messaging, suggest new ways to reach the community, and thank existing donors and friends of the Libraries,” said Scott.
The more Scott became involved with the University Libraries, the more certain he became that it was a worthy cause and a place that deserved his time and treasure. Scott shared, “I think I can speak for the entire board when I say that we have come to believe that the Libraries are really the ‘heart’ of our University; after all, shouldn’t that be the case for any great research library?” When asked if Scott had a favorite memory that inspires his philanthropy, one in particular came to mind. His niece attended Penn State’s College of Education and did not have money to spare for college expenses. He shared, “When it came time to do her student teaching practicum, she needed various books as teaching aids for her elementary school students. Instead of having to skip meals to buy these books, she was able to check them out of the library.”
While the Libraries provide great collections to support scholarship and research, he said they deliver far more than that. “The physical spaces, such as the Collaboration Commons, provide modern, enticing, purposefully-designed spaces for students to study, both alone and in groups. The One-Button Studios, invented at Penn State, provide places for students to produce video content for their classes as well as to showcase themselves to potential employers. If a student’s computer fails, they can take it to the Libraries to be fixed, and they can check out a spare to use in the meantime. If they think they might like to pursue a career in photography, for example, they can check out a professional camera to help them get started. If they need peer-to-peer tutoring, they can find that at the Libraries, too. And if they can’t afford next semester’s textbooks, there’s a pretty good chance they can find at least some of the books they’ll need, free of charge.” Scott is very proud of Penn State’s University Libraries and all they have to offer.
Inspired by Scott’s service to Penn State?
Give to the Scott H. and Sarah W. Steinhauer Textbook and Educational Resources Endowment in the University Libraries
Give to the Penn State Fund for University Libraries
Give to the Textbook and Educational Resource Endowment for the University Libraries